-Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses Nari Vandana Sammelan in Varanasi
-Inaugurates and lays foundation stone for 163 projects worth ₹6,330 crore
Varanasi, 28 April (H.S.): Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed that he will leave “no stone unturned” to get women’s reservation in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies implemented, calling the stalled Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (Women’s Reservation Act) a “maha‑yajña” whose success requires the blessings and political backing of India’s women. Speaking at the Nari Vandana Sammelan in the Banaras Locomotive Works precinct, PM Modi accused the Congress, SP and other Opposition parties of being “anti‑woman” for repeatedly blocking what he termed a historic opportunity to secure 33 per cent reserved seats for women.
6,330‑crore development bundle for Kashi
In the same engagement,PM Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for 163 projects worth about ₹6,330 crore in his Varanasi constituency, ranging from roads, drainage and public‑amenity works to tourism‑linked city‑beautification initiatives.
The event also doubled as a political‑mobilisation platform, with the Prime Minister addressing a sea of women, many of whom had travelled from across Uttar Pradesh and neighbouring states.
He also flagged off two new Amrit Bharat Express trains: one connecting Banaras to Pune (Hadapsar) and the other Ayodhya to Mumbai (Lokmanya Tilak Terminus), pitched as comfort‑oriented rakes offering modern rail‑travel options for pilgrims. At the same venue, PM Modi electronically transferred bonus payouts totaling ₹106 crore into the bank accounts of 3.21 lakh dairy‑cooperative producers affiliated with Banas Dairy, emphasising the role of women‑centric agriculture‑and‑dairy networks in household prosperity.
Women’s reservation: “A promise not yet fulfilled”
Reflecting on the non‑passage of women’s reservation,PM Modi acknowledged that the campaign “did not reach the target”: despite the BJP‑led NDA’s push, the 33 per cent quota failed to clear the required threshold in the Lok Sabha. He described the outcome as a temporary setback and reiterated his personal resolve: “I will leave absolutely no stone unturned to ensure that reservation becomes a reality.”
He accused the Congress, Samajwadi Party and regional forces like TMC of having opposed women’s reservation for over 40 years, framing it not as a women‑centric policy but as a threat to family‑dominated political dynasties. “They fear women leaders because they know that if strong, capable women enter Assemblies and Parliament, their corrupt practices will be exposed,” he said, adding that women voters had already seen through such “machinations” and responded with a strong anti‑Opposition mandate across states from West Bengal and Assam to Kerala.
Empowerment tools: land, jobs, and financial inclusion
In a detailed narrative of women‑empowerment moves, Modi traced his record from Gujarat, where he initiated early schemes for daughters, to the national‑level launch of the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana—launched from Varanasi two years ago—to secure long‑term savings for girls. He highlighted that millions of women are now registered as first‑time property owners in land and housing records, a consequence of schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and women‑focused land‑titling drives.
By linking dairies, Self‑Help Groups (SHGs) and micro‑finance, he pointed out that three crore women have risen to the status of “lakhpati didis” (millionaires), with Banas‑linked women alone receiving ₹106 crore bonus. He also underlined that women are now present in the Army, Navy and Air Force, leading complex operations and missions, and that the new Parliament building was itself a symbol of India’s aspiration for deeper women’s representation in governance.
Kashi as a metaphor for continuous progress
PM Modi lauded the transformation of Kashi—“ever‑lasting and ever‑moving”—as a metaphor for unbroken, forward‑moving development under his governments. He noted that the current round of 163 projects was part of a larger Kashi‑development trajectory involving tens of thousands of crore in investment over the last decade, covering infrastructure, tourism, health and urban amenities.
The event was attended by Governor Anandiben Patel, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, BJP national president Nitin Nabin, state BJP chief Pankaj Bhatia, Deputy CMs Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, and a host of MPs and ministers, underscoring the party’s attempt to layer local‑development announcements with a national‑level women‑empowerment‑cum‑quota‑narrative ahead of the 2029 general elections.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
